For Next Winter, Coats Will Be Anything but Sober, Dull or Black

By BERNADINE MORRIS

Published: April 25, 1989

Everbody needs a winter coat. North of the Mason-Dixon line, a utilitarian outer garment is a necessity three to six months of the year. Utilitarian is the key, for most women do not get too much joy out of this practical article of apparel. If it does not weigh too heavily on the shoulders, if it fits comfortably over other clothes without pinning the arms to the sides - well, that's all one can expect.

Winter coats are usually sober and black, in the same shape year after year. Some women take an occasional fling - an orange coat for example, that goes with only a few things in their wardrobes. And a novelty, like the quilted down coat, occasionally comes along and sweeps the country like the Hula-Hoop. But the down coat proved too bulky and not formal enough for serious wear, and the plain cloth coat was back, with its single- or double-breasted closing, its raglan or sharply padded shoulders.

All that is bound to change in a few months when the first coats for next winter start appearing in the stores. A renaissance is under way. Coats are bursting with fashion news, for the first time in recent memory. There is a wide range of colors, including orange, purple, red and almost any strong shade that comes to mind. There are at least two significant lengths - about 40 inches from shoulder to hem, ending around the knees, and a good 10 inches longer, or approaching the ankles. Fabrics range from the plush luxury of cashmere, alpaca, mohair and even baby llama to leather and velvet. Evening coats, usually a very minor part of the fashion scene, are out in force.

Stores everywhere are enthusiastic about the outpouring of new designs, in part because they are concerned about the mounting objections to fur, another traditional alternative to cloth coats. Focal Point of Collections>

''Coats seem to be the focal point of every designer's collection,'' said Ellin Saltzman, a senior vice president and the fashion director of Saks Fifth Avenue.

''There is such a choice this year, from short and swinging to long and wrapped,'' said Joan Kaner, a fashion director at Macy's.

''This is definitely a coat year,'' observed Kalman Ruttenstein, the senior vice president for fashion direction at Bloomingdale's. ''Everything looks good, from fake furs and shearlings to camel's hair.''

Leading sportswear designers, including Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan and Louis Dell'Olio for Anne Klein, have made coats that express the flavor of their collections. Mr. Klein emphasizes clean tailoring, Mr. Lauren takes a classic stance, Ms. Karan's bathrobe coats have casual eclat and Mr. Dell'Olio wraps his coats in the matching stoles that are another sign of the season.

But coat specialists have also been inspired to loosen up their conventional styling. Yeohlee, who is known for her soft tailoring, emphasizes brilliant colors like orange and fuchsia. Ken Fleetwood adds velvet evening coats with satin accents to his British-looking tweed and cashmere styles.

Fake furs, tricolor styles and very short coats to be worn with tights are part of the collection of Ilie Wacs, a designer and manufacturer of moderate-priced coats.

''Women weren't particularly inspired by coats when everything looked alike,'' said Mr. Wacs, whose prices start at around $300. ''But there is so much going on in fashion now, it is almost obligatory for coats to change.''